1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an integrated wireless antenna/transceiver module and, more particularly, to an integrated wireless antenna/transceiver module that includes a plurality of antenna radiating elements and transceivers integrated into a common module on a circuit board, where the module is positioned between a vehicle roof and headliner.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Modern vehicles employ various types of antennas to receive and transmit signals for different systems, such as terrestrial radio, cellular telephone, satellite radio, GPS, etc. Typically, the antennas for these different reception applications are integrated into a single chassis that is mounted to the roof of the vehicle at a desirable location. Transceivers associated with the various applications are distributed throughout the vehicle at certain locations depending on the particular vehicle design. The transceivers are electrically coupled to their respective antenna radiating element and the integrated antenna chassis by a coaxial cable that runs through the vehicle along support structures in an aesthetically pleasing and supportive manner.
The number of wireless vehicle applications that require an antenna is increasing and in the near future may include many other systems, such as Bluetooth (BT), WiFi, dedicated short range communication (DSRC), etc. The length of the coaxial cable required to connect the antenna to the transceiver for each application may be as long as 18 feet, thus requiring significant expense for each vehicle. Further, the losses associated with using coaxial cables are significant, typically on the order of 7 dB, which increases the size and cost of the antenna radiating element because of the increase required in antenna gain to compensate for these losses.